The present invention relates generally to cartons for use in shipping a plurality of articles and more particularly to cartons for use in shipping a plurality of articles which can be converted to display the plurality of articles contained therewithin.
It is a well known practice to employ cartons to package, store and transport sales articles from the manufacturer to the place of sale, such as a retail store. Conventionally, cartons, also referred to as containers, are formed from a one-piece blank made of corrugated paperboard which is suitably cut, scored and folded to produce a generally rectangularity shaped box. Once the carton reaches the place of sale, the articles held therewithin are unpacked from the carton and are typically placed on display shelves. Cartons can also be used as end aisle or mid-aisle displays where opened cartons can be placed on top of other unopened and/or opened cartons, permitting a customer to see and select the articles which are placed within the cartons.
One drawback of such cartons is that a significant amount of labor is required to remove the articles from the carton and, in turn, place them on the display shelves.
To reduce packaging costs, combined shipping and display packages have been utilized. The cartons used to form the packages have to be strong enough to support and protect the articles during shipment and in addition be capable of presenting the articles on display. This has resulted in the use of relatively complicated carton designs which require somewhat involved set-up procedures, often entailing the reassembly of the shipping carton into a display package having a different appearance. Such combination shipping and display packages are often limited to handling only small numbers of articles.
Accordingly, it is well known in the art for cartons which can be utilized to ship the plurality of sales articles to be convertible into a display device at the place of sale, thereby eliminating the labor required in transferring the articles from the carton to the shelves of the place of sale. Such cartons normally comprise a separable upper section which is torn away from the lower section by a tear strip or perforated tear line formed through panels of the carton to expose the packaged articles for display.
Certain of such cartons are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,837; U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,881; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,884. However, these cartons can have intricate tabs and flaps which make the blank for the carton difficult to make. In addition, certain flaps will have been adhered together (for example, by adhesive tape) and the adhesive tape may have to be separated before the carton can be separated into separate sections.
Thus, the need exists for a carton which can be separated to form a display for articles which does not require intricate tabs and flaps nor requires the separation of adhesive tape.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful carton which can be used for shipping a plurality of articles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a carton which can be easily converted to enable it to be used for displaying the plurality of articles held therewithin.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a carton which is formed from a single-piece blank.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a carton which is durable and strong.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a carton which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a carton for use in the shipping and display of a plurality of articles is provided. The carton is formed from a single-piece corrugated paperboard blank and comprises a top flap, a top panel foldably connected to the top flap, a front panel foldably connected to the top panel, a bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel, and a rear panel foldably connected to the bottom panel to form a box-shaped shipping carton having an open right side and an open left side. The carton further comprises a right flap that is foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the right flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel and being sized and shaped so as to at least partially close the open right side when folded, and a left flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the left flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel and being sized and shaped so as to at least partially close the open left side when folded. A first continuous tear line is formed in a first panel of the top, front, bottom and rear panels and in a first of the right and left flaps connected to the first panel. The first tear line starts at the edge of the first left flap and terminates at the edge of the first right flap. A second continuous tear line is formed in a second panel of the top, front, bottom and rear panels and in a second of the right and left flaps connected to the second panel. The first and second panels are preferably different panels. The second continuous tear line starts at the edge of the second left flap and terminates at the edge of the second right flap. The carton is severable along the first and second tear lines to enable a portion of the carton to be removed to convert the carton into a display carton for a plurality of articles.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a carton for use in the shipping and display of a plurality of articles is provided. The carton is formed from a single-piece corrugated paperboard blank and comprises a top flap, a top panel foldably connected to the top flap, a front panel foldably connected to the top panel, a bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel, and a rear panel foldably connected to the bottom panel to form a box-shaped shipping carton having an open right side and an open left side. The carton further comprises a right flap that is foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the right flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel and being sized and shaped so as to at least partially close the open right side when folded, and a left flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the left flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel and being sized and shaped so as to at least partially close the open left side when folded. A first continuous tear line is formed in the front panel and in the right and left flaps connected to the front panel. The first tear line starts at the edge of the left flap and terminates at the edge of the right flap. A second continuous tear line is formed at a connection between the top flap and the top panel. The carton is severable along the first and second tear lines to enable a portion of the carton to be removed to convert the carton into a display carton for a plurality of articles.
In accordance with an even further aspect of the invention, a blank for forming a carton is provided. The blank is formed from a single-piece of corrugated paperboard. The blank is cut and scored to comprise a top flap, a top panel foldably connected to the top flap, a front panel foldably connected to the top panel, a bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel, and a rear panel foldably connected to the bottom panel. The blank further comprises a right flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the right flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel, and a left flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the left flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel. A first continuous tear line is formed in a first panel of the top, front, bottom and rear panels and in a first of the right and left flaps connected to the first panel. The first tear line starts at the edge of the first left flap and terminates at the edge of the first right flap. A second continuous tear line is formed in a second panel of the top, front, bottom and rear panels and in a second of the right and left flaps connected to the second panel. The first and second panels are preferably different panels. The second continuous tear line starts at the edge of the second left flap and terminates at the edge of the second right flap.
In accordance with yet an even further aspect of the invention, a blank for forming a carton is provided. The blank is formed from a single-piece of corrugated paperboard. The blank is cut and scored to comprise a top flap, a top panel foldably connected to the top flap, a front panel foldably connected to the top panel, a bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel, and a rear panel foldably connected to the bottom panel. The blank further comprises a right flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the right flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel, and a left flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the left flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel. A first continuous tear line is formed in the front panel and in the right and left flaps connected to the front panel. The first tear line starts at the edge of the left front flap and terminates at the edge of the right front flap. A second continuous tear line is formed at a connection between the top flap and the top panel.
Additional objects and features of the present invention, as well as its advantages, will be set forth in part in the detailed description which follows. The embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are hereby incorporated into and constitutes a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals represent like parts.